Help I'm Not Getting Any Medical School Interview Invites

by Dr. Spears

HELP, I'm not getting any medical school interview invites.

I'm really worried about my chances of getting into medical school this year.

Were you the premed who set arbitrary deadlines for yourself?

It happens every application cycle and plays out like clockwork.

There's the MCAT.Regardless of your performance on practice tests you have already chosen a test date. You simply believe the exam has to be taken on the date you selected. Even if your scores are telling you otherwise.

Your thought process is a bit that is not performing your best but you never know what will happen. It can't hurt so you sit for the MCAT.

Your score report arrives five weeks later and you're disappointed. But you're committed to applyingPlus, you're burnout and don't have the stamina to retake the MCAT

Remember on SDN you heard about the girl who got into med school with a low MCAT.

Why can't the same happen for you too?

That's one strike against you with a bad MCAT score.

The only way to make up for this is to apply early.

You're thinking you will be submitted on day one "The early bird gets the worm" is what your pre health advisor has extolled all year. You get the emails about applying on time is the best way to improve your chances.

However, AdComs have a completely different perspective. They want you to apply when you have the best application even if it means delaying a few weeks.

Are you going to listen to the actual decision makers who decide who gets into medical school or not?

Nope.

There's that pesky clock counting down and you will not be deterred in meeting that arbitrary deadline you set for yourself. Yes that includes submitting on a Friday night even though no AdCom is sitting at their computer hitting refresh to download your application.

The prudent decision would have been to give yourself the weekend to improve your application.
You're elated that all of your applications are submitted early. You're finally on your way to becoming a doctor.

Yes, you don't have one of the strongest medical school application out there but it doesn't matter as long as it's complete.

Doomsday hits and it hits hard.

A few medical schools that actually screen applicants before sending out secondaries reject you.

Not what you were expecting at all.

You fall into the same trap that you are going to have one of the fastest secondary turnaround times. Because hey it shows you are truly interested in their school.
 
Fall arrives.

You're nervous and worried. You're hearing other applicants are getting medical school interview invites. 

Some applicants have already completed their medical school interviews.

There's a sinking feeling in your gut when its late October and a medical school announces their first wave of acceptances.

This is sickening.

You haven't gotten one medical school interview invite and four schools have already rejected you.

Alarm bells are ringing.

You are second guessing everyone who has attempted to advise you. You question what they actually know and if they have somehow "tricked" you
However at no point in time do you reflect on your decisions and go against the advice of those who have successfully helped others get into medical school.

This just doesn't register that maybe you're the culprit.

You thought the feedback was harsh concerning your personal statement and decided, "I like this topic and voice so I am going to use it".

These are little decisions of themselves but when added together are very consequential.

In sum, you were slowly digging yourself into a hole that is virtually impossible to overcome concerning your chances of getting into medical school.

This is not a fix of just adding on additional medical schools because doing more of the same will not resolve your rejections.

You need an entirely new approach and strategy if you want to have any chance of salvaging your medical school application.

If you see yourself in this scenario then I can help you change things around. If you don't see yourself in this scenario then you're most likely the applicant who needs the most help.

Maybe you're seeing this before applying and you're in a great place to avoid every pitfall and mistake that can totally derail your chances of getting into medical school.

No matter what, there is help available and I strongly encourage you to contact me for help and get on the track to medical school admissions success.